Arotrophora arcuatalis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Arotrophora arcuatalis, commonly known as banksia boring moth or rarely banksia moth, is a species of Australian tortrid moth best known as a pest of Banksia. First described by Francis Walker in 1865, it is the type species for Arotrophora. It occurs throughout coastal and sub-coastal areas of southern Australia. Adults are grey with brown and white markings.
The moth lays its eggs on the surface of the flower spikes of Banksia while in early bud, and the larvae tunnel into the axis of the spike, boring from follicle to follicle to consume the seeds. They infest a wide range of Banksia species, in some species substantially reducing the seed set. In the cut flower industry, their tunnelling affects the cosmetic qualities of flower spikes, rendering them unsaleable. As a result, there has been significant research into control of the moth, including identification of its pheromones. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Banksia Boring Moth sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 465th most-seen of the 875 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Banksia Boring Moth in Melbourne on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banksia Boring Moth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Melbourne, in our data
Melbourne is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Banksia Boring Moth sightings: under 5% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banksia Boring Moth is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (17 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
